Footwear



April 24, 1956 B. BENJAMIN 2,742,718

'FOOTWEAR Filed Nov. 30, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. BENJA MINBENJAMIN ATTORNEY April 24, 1956 B. BENJAMIN 2,742,718

FOOTWEAR Filed Nov. 30, 1954' 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q I INVENTOR.

36 BEA/JAM/N BENJAMIN BY Le AT TORNE Y April 24, 1956 BENJAMIN 2,742,718

FOOTWEAR Filed Nov. 30, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TOR. BENJJQ MIN BENJA MIN A TTORNEY April 24, 1956 i BENJAMIN 2,742,718

FOOTWEAR Filed Nov. 30, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN V EN T 0R. BEA/J4 Nl/VBENJAMIN ATTORNEY United States Patent FOOTWEAR Benjamin Benjamin,Forest Hills, N. Y., assignor to General Shoe Corporation, Nashville,Tenn., a corporation of Tennessee Application November 30, 1954, SerialNo. 472,190 2 Claims. ((11. 3624.5)

This invention relates generally to footwear and more particularly toladies shoes and methods of manufacturing the same.

In the design and production of feminine shoes and style, for examplethe sling pump type, one feature which detracts from the appearancethereof is the fact that the insole lies on top of the heel in aseparate layer.

It is accordingly a principal object of the present invention to providea shoe in which there is no apparent inner sole above the heel seat andwherein the heel seat part of the inner sole has been merged or blendedinto the heel.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of ashoe in which the heel appears as a virtual extension of the shankportion of the shoe.

A still further object of the present invention is the production of ashoe having a new appearance with the thin pencil line of the heel topunmarred by any layer above it.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a shoe bearing theabove objects in mind which is of simple construction, inexpensive tomanufacture, has a minimum number of parts, is easy to assemble andeflicient in wear.

For other objects and a better understandlng of the invention, referencemay be had to the following detailed description taken in connectionwith the accompanying Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of aconventional shoe, illustrating the manner in which the inner sole lieson top of the heel in a separate layer as contrasted with the showing ofFig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view shown alone of the heel forming a partof the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view thereof looking along the line 4--4of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view thereof;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional View thereof taken along the line 6--6 ofFig. 4;

Fig; 7 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of Fig.1;

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of Fig.1;

Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 99 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 10 is a side elevational view of the inner sole shown formed withthe bevelled or skived portion received within the top of the heel;

Fig. 11 is a transverse sectional view thereof taken along the line11-11 of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the inner sole showing the covered heelattached thereto according to one method of fabrication and showing thesteel shank in operative position;

Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing the heel, shank and inner sole ofFig. 12 attached to the last and illustrating the next step in themanufacture;

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the last, showing the inner sole aloneand shank attached thereto, according to another method of manufacture;

Fig. 15 is a view similar to Fig. 14 and showing the next step in themethod of manufacture wherein the shoe lining and covering are attached;and

Fig. 16 is a view similar to Fig. 15 but showing the next step in themanufacture according to the second method and showing the outer soleattached at the ball portion of the shoe and split into three separablelayers at its rear portion just prior to insertion and securement of theheel.

Brieflystated, the invention contemplates a shoe in which the heel seatportion of the inner sole is skived or bevelled towards its peripheraledges so that during the manufacturing process this portion can bereceived by the cupped-out heel top which has been previously recessed,as well as methods of producing a shoe incorporating these features.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, and more particularly toFig. 2, 10 indicates generally a shoe of the sling pump type includingthe usual shoe upper 11, inner sole 12, heel 13, outer sole 14 and heeltip 15, substantially as illustrated. It will be noted that the heelseat portion of the insole 12 lies on top of the heel 13 in a separatelayer, detracting from the appearance thereof.

In the practice of my invention, there is provided a shoe indicatedgenerally at 16 wherein there is no apparent inner sole above the heelseat and wherein the heel seat part of the inner sole has been merged orblended into the heel, imparting a new appearanceto the shoe With thethin pencil line of the heel top unmarred by any layer above it. It willalso be noted from Fig. 1 that the heel appears as a virtual extensionof the shank portion of the shoe.

In achieving this construction, I provide a heel indicated generally at17 of conventional shape and including the breast portion 18. However,the top of the heel is dished out providing a concave recess 19extending inwardly and downwardly from a substantially U-shaped,coplanar, peripheral edge 20, for a purpose which will hereinafterbecome clear (Figs. 3 through 6). For the accomplishment of the presentinvention, the recess 19 at its deepest point extends downwardly aboutor onequarter of an inch below the planar peripheral edge 20.

In the further practice of my invention, I provide an insole indicatedgenerally at 21 (Fig. 10) including a ball portion 22, a shank 23 and athickened heel seat portion 24, the undersurface of the heel seatportion 24 being bevelled or skived (Fig. 11) so as to present asmoothly rounded, convex portion or surface 25 extending inwardly anddownwardly from the peripheral side and rear edges thereof and adaptedto fit Within the recess 19 of the heel. It will be noted that the uppersurface 26 of the heel seat portion is flat and lies within the sameplane as the peripheral edge 20 of the heel when the insole and heel arein the assembled relationship of Fig. 7.

a As shown in Fig. 12, the ball part 22 of the insole 21 isconventionally dished out as at 27 and receives therewithin the usualfiller 28.

An inflexible shank 29 is then secured to the undersurface of the shankportion 23 and heel seat portion 24 by means of nails 30, the shank 29being formed of steel or other suitable material.

According to the first method of manufacturing the shoe, the heel 17(Fig. 7) is then secured to the shank 29 and insole 21 by means of thescrew 31 and nails 32, the rear end of the shank and the convexundersurface 25 of the heel seat portion of the insole being receivedwithin the recess 19 with the upper surface 24 of the heel seat portionlying in the same plane as the peripheral edge 19 of the heel. Thus, theheel seat portion 24 of the shank is merged; or blended into the recessand the insole does not appear as a separate layer on top of the heel,as in the conventional shoe of the Fig. 2, and imparting a newappearance with the thin pencil line of the heel top unmarred; by anylayer above it.

Edging 33 is then cemented to the marginal edges of the shank 23 andball portion 22 of the insole 21, extending back to. the heel seatportion 24.

Heel; covering material 34 is then cemented to the heel 17 with themarginal edges 35 thereof partially covering the breast portion and therear portion of the shank 23 of the insole (Fig. 12)..

The usual rubber or leather heel 36 is then secured to the bottom of theheel 17.

The resulting heel and insole assembly is then attached to aconventional last indicated generally at 37 by means of nails 38 and theusual set screw member 39, as shown in Fig. 13. The last 37 includes theusual holder 40 and plate 41*.

The heel and insole assembly is then finished in the usual manner withthe outer sole 42, sock lining 43 and shoe upper 44 including the usualshoe lining 45 to produce the finished product of Fig. 1.

As a second method of assembly, sequential stages of which areillustrated in Figs. l4, l5, and 16, the insole 21 having the dished outportion 27 to which the filler 28 has been applied, the edging 33cemented to the marginal edges thereof, and the shank 29 secured theretois applied to the last 37 in the usual manner without the attachmentthereto of the heel 17 It will be noted that, as in the first method,the insole 21 includes the usual thickened portion 24 having the convexundersurface 25 and fiat upper surface. Thus, this first step in thissecond method is as shown in Fig. 14.

In the next step, as shown in Fig. 15, the lining 45 and shoe upper 44are cemented to the insole 21 in the usual manner, the lining 45 beingsecured to the last 37 by nails 46.

According to this second method of assembly, a modified outer soleindicated generally at 47 is provided and includes a ball portion 48 anda shank portion 49. The heel seat portion of the outer sole 47 and theupper portion of the shank portion 49 thereof is split, as shown in Fig.16, providing an inner layer 52 which extends across the shank 29, anintermediate shortened and slitted portion 51 and an outer layer adaptedto cover the breast 18 and marginal edges 35 of the heel 17. The innerlayer 52 is secured to the insole across the shank 29 by means of thenails 53 while the upper surface of the shank portion 4-9 and ballportion 48 are cemented to the bottom of the assembly. The inner layer52 of the outer sole 47 is complementarily bevelled or skived in thesame manner as the heel seat portion of the insole 2 1 and the two, withthe end of the shank 29 mounted therebetween, are fitted into the cuppedout portion or recess 19 of heel 17, which latter is then securedthereto in the usual manner. it will be noted that the intermediatelayer 51 is received intermediate the heel 17 and inner layer 52,providing a firmer structure, while the outer layer 50 is then cementedto the breast portion of the heel and finished in the usual manner. Theshoe is then finished in the usual manner including the cementing in ofthe sock lining 23.

The finished shoe according to both methods and as shown in Fig. 1 has astrikingly new appearance with the thin pencil line edge of the heelbeing unbroken by any unsightly layer of insole at the top. Furthermore,there is no danger of breakage due to the inherent strength of thebuilt-in metal shank 29.

It is to be understood that while a sling pump type of shoe has beenshown in the drawing, this is for illustrative purposes only and is notto be deemed limitative in any sense.

it should now be apparent that there has been provided a shoe in whichthe heel appears as a virtual extension of the shank portion of theshoe. It should also be apparent that there has been provided a shoe inwhich there is no apparent inner sole above the heel seat and whereinthe heel seat part of the inner sole has been merged or blended into theheel to present a shoe having a strikingly new appearance with the thinpencil line of the heel top unmarred. by any layer above it.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shallbe understod that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope ofthe present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a ladys shoe having a heel, an insole and an open back upperexposing the interior of the shoe in the region of the heel, said insoleincluding an integral shank and ball portion of substantially the samethickness and an integral heel seat portion thicker than said shank andball portion, said thickened heel seat portion having a convex undersurface and a flat upper surface with such surfaces intersecting at theside and rear edges of the heel seat portion, said heel having a concaveupper surface with the side and rear edges thereof bounding such concavesurface being formed by the intersection of the concave surface with theside and rear walls of the heel, said heel seat portion being receivedby said heel with said convex under surface disposed adjacent saidconcave upper surface and with the flat upper surface of the heel seatportion lying in the same plane as the upper side and rear edges of theheel whereby when the heel assembly is viewed in side elevation, theupper edge of the heel is unmarred by any layer of insole above it.

2. In the ladys shoe according to claim 1, wherein the side and rearedges of said heel bounding said recess are coplanar and taper to asharp edge, said heel seat portion having a flat upper surface lying insubstantially the same plane as the side and rear edges of the heel andhaving an under surface tapering peripherally to intersect the flatupper surface at the side and rear edges of the heel seat portion, saidside and rear edges of the heel seat portion being disposed inwardly ofand closely adjacent to the side and rear edges of the heel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re.16,034 Sharpneck Mar. 31, 1925 665,289 Watters Jan. 1, 1901 1,502,036Heilhecker July 22, 1924 1,953,048 Crompton Mar. 27, 1934

